Railway frog and switch foot-guard.



No. 759,161. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

P. 13. DE BOY. RAILWAY FROG AND SWITCH FOOT GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 1904.

Wifgesses 5 1 $6M o Jlflarge ys v UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

PETER F. DE BOY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDUS A. PROOOR, OF HAYDEN HEIGHTS, NEWV JERSEY.

RAILWAY FROG AND SWITCH FOOT-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,161, dated May 3, 1904.

Application filed February 6, 1904. Serial No. 192,440. (No model.)

To all whom 71!; may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER F. DE BoY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Railway Frog and Switch Foot-Guard, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the foot-guards employed in connection with railway frogs, switches, and other parts of railway-tracks and similar structures where rails are positioned in converging angles and located sufficiently near to catch the feet of pedestrians, and has for its object to simplify and improve the construction and produce a device of this character which may be adjusted to fit diifer out forms and sizes of frogs, switches, and the like.

\lVith these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

1n the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, as various changes in the shape, proportions, and general assemblage of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is therefore reserved of making all the changes and modifications which fairly fall within the scope of the invention and the claims made therefor.

1n the drawings thus employed, Figure 1 is a plan view, Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, of a portion of an ordinary railway-frog with the improved protecting-plate attached. Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of portions of two ordinary forms of railway-switches with the improved device applied thereto. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the foot-guard of the present invention.

The improved device consists of a plate 10, of resilient material, preferably of steel, having at one end lateral recesses 11 12 for engaging the sides of the head portions of the adjacent rails 13 14 and with the other end 15 bent beneath the body of the plate and the bent-under portion provided with a longitudinal slot 16. The plate will be located at points where there is danger of the feet of pedestrians becoming caught between the rails, such as the converging rails at frogs, switches, and similar localities, and will be secured to the nearest tie 17 by a bolt or spike inserted through the slot 16. The plate will be positioned with the recesses 11 12 engaging the inner or adjacent sides of the rail-heads, and it is obvious that when thus arranged the plate may be longitudinally adjustable to an extent corresponding to the length of the slot 16. The resiliency of the plate 10 will maintain its recessed end in close engagement with the rails and by projecting beneath the head portions of the same will be thereby limited in the upward movement, while free to be depressed by the flanges of the passing wheels. The portion 18 of the plate 10 between the recesses will be curved upwardly, and this upwardly-curved portion will come nearly to the upper line of the rails in position to be engaged by the flanges of the passing trains and depressed thereby. Then as the trains pass the reaction of the spring of the plate will restore it to its former position. Formed through the inwardly-bent end of the plate are alined apertures 19, through which a bolt 20 is inserted irito the tie 17 to provide means for regulating the tension of the plate. The plate can be constructed to fit any of the various localities in railway-tracks where such devices are required without change in the structure of the latter and Without material change or modification in the plate, as will be obvious.

In Fig. 4 a portion of an ordinary pointswitch is shown, and in Fig. 5 a portion of an ordinary split switch is shown, with the improved guard-plate applied to illustrate the adaptability to different forms of switch structure. When applied to split switches the plate 10 will be located between the movable switchrail and the main-line rail, andwhen the switchrail is opened it is moved away from and toward the plate, leaving the latter in position upon the tie in engagement with the main line rail. .The presence of the plate, it will thus be obvious, does not interfere with the ordinary operation of the switch-rail.

By this simple arrangement it will be obvious that a simply-constructed and efficient guard is produced which will prevent the foot of a person from becoming caught in the converging spaces between the rails, while at the same time not interfering with the passing trains or the ordinary uses of the track.

The plates will be of suflicient rigidity to resist the weight of a person who may place the foot thereon, but will yield readily to the superior weight of a passing train, and thus form no impediment thereto.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. As anew article, a foot-guard for railway frogs, switches and like structures comprising a resilient plate having at one end lateral recesses for engaging the sides of the heads of the adjacent rails and with the other end bent beneath the body of the plate and provided with alined tension-bolt apertures adjacent to the bend.

2. As anew article, a foot-guard for railway frogs, switches and like structures comprising a resilient plate having at one end lateral recesses for engaging the sides of the heads of the adjacent rails and with the other end bent beneath the body of the plate and provided with alined tension-bolt apertures adjacent to the bend and with the bent-under portion longitudinally slotted, whereby the plate may be adjusted longitudinally and the tension controlled.

3. As a new article, a foot-guard for railway frogs, switches and like structures comprising a resllient plate having at one end lateral recesses for engaging the sides of the heads of the adjacent rails and with the other end bent beneath the body of the plate and means for connecting said bent-under portion with one of the supporting-ties of the railway-track.

4:. A foot-guard for railway-tracks comprising a resilient plate bent intermediately to form an attaching-shank and a guard member inclined upwardly and overhanging the shank, the upper free end of the guard member being formed to underlie and engage the heads of adjacent rails.

5. A foot-guard for railway-tracks comprising a resilient plate bent intermediately to form an attaching-shank and an upwardly-inclined guard member overhanging the shank, the upper free end of the guard member being bowed upwardly and provided with lateral extensions at the inner end of the bowed portion to engage the under sides of the heads of adjacent rails.

6. A foot-guard for railway-tracks comprising a resilient plate bent intermediately to form an attaching-shank which is slotted longitudinally and an upwardly-inclined guard member overhanging the shank, the upper free end of the guard member being bowed upwardly and having lateral extensions at the inner end of said bowed portion, the guard and shank members being provided with alined perforations adjacent the bend in the plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own 1 have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER F. DE BOY.

WVitnesses:

FRANK RAY GATCH, LUTHER E. INGE. 

